HW97kt in 20 cal. Christmas came early for me.

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MattChastain

Member
Apr 1, 2015
221
18
KS
I have wanted to get a high quality spring rifle for a while now and I settled on the HW97 because it had the thumbhole option that I love and so many loyal fans. I wanted to get one used to save some money if I could and last week I got lucky and found this one on a gun auction site. It was even in .20 which I think is pretty cool. I scooped it up and subsequently placed a order for a Hawke scope, BKL 1pc mount, and a load of different pellets all from pyramid air. Hopefully that stuff gets herself tomorrow because it is killing me to sit here looking at this beautiful rifle and not being able to shoot it. I will post more as I get it setup. 
Since this is my first high quality springer I was wondering if any of you springer veterans out there had some advice for me when it comes to setup, break in and overall getting the most performance from my rifle. Thanks I am super excited. 
 
I am a Beeman/HW fan myself. I like R1's. My go-to gun is an R1 in .20. The pellet selection is kinda thin because it is the least popular, but I think it is the optimum caliber for a springer. All of my Beeman guns shoot H&N Field Target Trophy's the best, but JSB's or Polymags will work for hunting. Make sure you use a stop pin on your scope rings. Also, before you make a scope adjustment, ensure that your hold has not changed causing you a shift in poi. You can chase it forever if you are not careful. Your gun is pretty heavy, so don't get frustrated if the groups open up when shooting free-hand. Lastly, have fun! You have a rifle that can be passed down. It might need a spring if you shoot it a bunch. I changed my last one at about 7000 shots, but Weihrauch builds them like a tank. The gun will last for generations.
 
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Just got my scope, mounts, and pellets today and things did not go to plan. I bought the BKL droop compensation 1pc mount and a Hawke vantage scope. I was concerned that the two might not work together since I couldn't find good measurements so I used the pyramid air chat system to ask one of their guys and he said it would work fine. Sadly it didn't. The bottom swell on my scope below the turrets is about a 1/16 to tall and won't allow the scope to sit in the rings. I wish I had a mill and could just cut a slot for it but I will just have to wait and swap them for different ones. What a buzz kill. 
 
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Alright I couldn't wait. I stole the cheapo CenterPoint off my Trail NP and stuck it on to shoot at 15 yards which is the longest I have in my basement. Here is the 5 shot groups I shot testing if JSB 13.7gr (the first two groups on the left) or H&N FTT 11.42gr (last three groups) was better out of my gun. Doesn't seem to be much difference at this range but what I did figure out was that this rifle is more accurate than I am. I need some more practice I had put about 200 rounds through it before these shots. 

15 yards seated resting on a chair. 5 shots per group

 
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Congrats on that find! I have a jones for one myself. I'm the happy owner of an R9 in .22 which I bought new in 2010- it was a game changer for me! I went from thinking 25yds was a long shot to cussing myself for missing at 40yds! I decided on the R9 because of the weight, but the HW97 is definitely on my bucket list. Here's my R9 in a vintage R10 stock.



I find I do my best with my thumb on the back of the receiver/compression tube and pinching the trigger between my thumb and trigger finger.(hope that makes sense) My supporting hand is right up against the trigger guard. Practice and have fun and you'll figure out what works best, especially if you only shoot one gun. You can also shoot from sticks for a more steady hold, usually the best resting point is about where the stock screws are.
John
 
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